Abstract
Little is known about the influence of parental values, preferences, and child achievement and health expectations on parent choices for their child’s rearing practices. We aimed to explore parents’ perceptions of immediate and future impact of health behavior decisions for their child and to understand factors associated with child-specific health behavior decisions. This pilot study included interviews with 25 parents of 9–24-month-old children attending well child care visits at a primary care practice. Questions assessed parental perceptions and attitudes in making health behavior changes now for their child’s future health. Themes suggest parents perceive many factors are involved, and intricately connected, in health behavior decision-making. Although almost all parents believed there is a connection between the foods they feed their child and achieving their goals, only half are willing to make a change. In addition, parents failed to consider the impact of the health practices they currently have with their children to influence the future acquisition of life skills and of healthy versus obesogenic behaviors. Our results add to the understanding of the process of health behavior change through anticipatory guidance. Study findings will be used to guide next steps towards refining our understanding of health and lifestyle change decisions made by parents.
Highlights
While a great proportion of adults in the United States report they are not meeting national recommendations on healthy lifestyle [1,2,3], at a given time, 51% of adults with overweight or obesity are trying to lose weight
Our study aimed to explore parents’ perceptions of immediate and future impact of their own health-related behaviors for their infants/toddlers on child life outcomes, including health, and to gain insight on factors are important to parents when making child-specific health behavior decisions
Our pilot findings indicate that parents base their parenting choices on many personal experiences and beliefs, and that knowledge alone may not be enough to promote change in behaviors
Summary
While a great proportion of adults in the United States report they are not meeting national recommendations on healthy lifestyle [1,2,3], at a given time, 51% of adults with overweight or obesity are trying to lose weight. Efforts to promote changes to healthier behaviors are usually clinician-driven, require time, effort, and often target adults or school-aged children. Very important target groups to focus health promotion efforts, are those expecting a baby and entering parenthood, as their health and lifestyle will influence their child’s health and development throughout the life course and they are expected to have frequent contact with their own and their child’s healthcare providers at this life stage [7,8,9]. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children two years of age and older
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